Atlanta Braves: the most runs this franchise has scored
3. TWENTY RUNS. ATLANTA BRAVES BREAK IN THE NEW KIDS, APRIL 18, 1999
Okay, the Rockies had been playing since 1993, so they weren’t ‘new’ anymore, but for quite a while, the Atlanta Braves truly owned them – that starting with a 13-0 season series sweep during 1993.
But in 1999 the results were largely the same: the Braves went 103-59 (first). The Rockies were 72-90 (last). So at some point, you’d have to think this kind of game might happen. But this was still quite early in the year.
It happened in Denver, but this really looked like a normal contest (by Coors Field standards) for most of the way. In fact, after the third inning, the Rockies had gotten to Greg Maddux for 3 runs to pull within 2 at a 6-4 deficit.
The Braves immediately got those 3 runs back, but didn’t score again until a lone tally in the 8th. So it’s now 10-4 going to the 9th. Looks like an easy win… but at this point you kinda feel bad for Colorado given what was about to happen.
Mike DeJean was the pitching victim. His line was ugly. 5 hits. A walk. A homer. 7 runs allowed (6 earned). He didn’t get anybody out after 7 batters… all of them scored.
Roberto Ramirez was called upon to deal with the mess. 3 more scored. 10 runs total for a 20-4 margin. The Rockies got a token run in their half of the 9th.
Six Braves hitters batted twice in the inning… or would have had Gerald WIlliams not replaced Otis Nixon. That didn’t matter since Williams got in on the party, too, by singling in a run.
In this game, homers were hit by 2 different Joneses (Andruw and Chipper), two different Brians (Hunter and Jordan), and Randall Simon. Andruw Jones also tripled.
Hitting back-to-back in the lineup, Andruw and Eddie Perez both went 5 for 6. Simon was 3 for 3; Chipper 3 for 5. The team OPS? 1.389 with 24 hits.
2. TWENTY RUNS. HAD TO INCLUDE THE MARLINS. ATLANTA BRAVES, OCT. 5, 2001.
After this contest, there were just 2 games left in the season. The Atlanta Braves would win the NL East again. The (Florida) Marlins were in the process of finishing 4th at 76-86.
This game started badly for Atlanta as the visitors to Turner Field parlayed a single and a walk into a 3-0 lead off of Kevin Millwood after a Preston Wilson home run.
Those were the only runs they would get on the night as Millwood ended up going 6 innings.
His counterpart – Marlins starter Ryan Dempster – couldn’t get out of the first inning. Dempster’s replacement (Benito Baez) didn’t get out of the third.
So Chipper, Andruw, and Brian Jordan ended being the only Braves players able to enjoy two 20-run outbursts in the history of this franchise as they were also contributing mightily to that Denver rout as well.
It didn’t quite start that well for Jordan this time: after opening the game with 3 straight walks, Jordan struck out, leaving the Fish with a double-play’s chance of getting out of the inning unscathed.
A sacrifice fly later… things still looked manageable for Dempster. 7 batters later… the Dempster fire was raging.
Dempster walked six in the inning and gave up only 1 hit… a single to Rey Sanchez of all people. But that still added up to six runs!
The big blow? That came off Benito Baez after Dempster couldn’t find the plate with both hands and a map. It was a Chipper Jones grand slam. 10-3 and the rout was on.
Jordan later doubled. Chipper later tripled. Marcus Giles homered, too, as gaudy crooked numbers dotted the line score: 10 in the 1st, 5 in the 3rd, and 5 in the 8th.
20-3 was the final.
This was not the largest victory margin for the team since arriving in Atlanta: that came with an 18-0 drubbing of these Marlins back in 1999. But somehow that ’20’ on the board seems like a bigger number.